The German language, like others, is filled with figures of speech and expressions whose origins are obscure to us - in fact we do not care a "Deut" (or a Duit) about their etymology.

People have always been adept at finding striking names for their pieces of money. Modern expressions such as "Knete" (dough), "Zaster" and "Kies" (both also slang words for money, like bread or lolly in English) are familiar to all German speakers, but what on earth is meant by a "Seufzer" (sigh)or a "Schnapphahn" (snatch cock)? And what are "Wanzen" (bed bugs) other than nasty little insects?

	Figures of Speech
	Remarkable Names
	Modern Terms